The signs people most often report after a loss are vivid dreams, a sense of presence, a touch, their voice, their scent, and symbolic signs such as cardinals, butterflies, white feathers, coins, flickering lights or their song. These experiences are common: depending on the group studied, between 31% and 82% of bereaved people report at least one. No one can prove where a sign comes from, but many people find in them comfort and a way to stay connected. Read the sign you noticed below.
What did you notice?
Choose what happened. You will see how tradition reads it, a grounded view, and a question to reflect on. Nothing is sent anywhere.
What research says about signs from loved ones
Researchers call these experiences after-death communications. The largest survey so far collected 1,004 accounts in English, French and Spanish between 2018 and 2020 (991 were usable). Most people who answered were women (85%), with a median age of 51. Here is how often each sense was involved:
| What people perceived | Share of accounts |
|---|---|
| A touch | 48% |
| Seeing the person | 46% |
| Hearing them | 44% |
| A sense of presence with no physical sensation | 34% |
| A smell linked to them | 28% |
Most people in the study experienced the contact as positive and felt it carried a message. Psychologists today also recognise that keeping an inner bond with someone who died, known as continuing bonds, is a normal part of grief, not something to “get over”.
The 12 most common signs, and two ways to read them
For each sign, here is how spiritual and folk traditions read it, and a grounded view of why it often appears. Both can be true for you at the same time.
| Sign | How tradition reads it | A grounded view |
|---|---|---|
| 🌙 A visitation dream | Many traditions treat these dreams as the clearest kind of visit: a reassurance that they are at peace and still close. | Grief keeps working while we sleep, so dreams about the person are very common in the months after a loss. Many people find them comforting whatever they believe. |
| ✨ Feeling their presence | Read as the simplest sign: they are near, especially at important moments or on hard days. | In the largest survey of these experiences, 34% of people described a sense of presence that came without any of the five senses. |
| 🤍 A touch or a hug | Often read as comfort being sent at the moment it is most needed. | Touch was the most often reported sense in the same survey: 48% of people described feeling a touch. |
| 🗣️ Hearing their voice or your name | Read as a call to pay attention, or a reminder that they are still looking out for you. | 44% of people in the survey reported hearing something. The edges of sleep are also when the mind most easily replays familiar voices. |
| 🌹 Their scent | One of the most cherished signs: a way of saying “I am here” that only you would recognise. | 28% of people in the survey reported a smell. Scent is strongly tied to memory, so a familiar smell can bring someone back very vividly. |
| 🐦 A red cardinal | The best-known saying is “When cardinals appear, angels are near.” In American folk tradition a cardinal is read as a visit from a loved one. | Cardinals do not migrate: they stay in the eastern and central US all winter, and their red stands out against snow, which is one reason people notice them around the holidays. |
| 🦋 A butterfly | A symbol of transformation and of life continuing in a new form. In ancient Greek the word psyche meant both soul and butterfly. | Butterflies are common from spring to autumn, so the meaning usually comes from the moment you saw one, not from the butterfly itself. |
| 🪶 A white feather | Widely read as a sign of protection and of an angel or loved one nearby. | Feathers are everywhere outdoors; what makes one feel like a sign is usually where and when it appears. |
| 🪙 Dimes or pennies | Known as “pennies from heaven”: a small, steady reminder that they are still taking care of you. | Coins are easy to drop and easy to spot, so they turn up often. Many people keep the ones they find in a jar as a quiet memorial. |
| 💡 Flickering lights or electronics | In folklore, the dead are said to use electricity because it takes little energy to move. | Have wiring and devices checked first. If everything works, many people still treat the timing as meaningful. |
| 🎵 Their song at the right moment | Read as a message in a language you both shared. | We notice what matters to us (the frequency illusion), so a song tied to them stands out every time it plays. |
| 🔢 Meaningful numbers | Read as a nudge to stop and think of them; repeating numbers are also known as angel numbers. | Once a number matters to you, you notice it more. Our angel number decoder shows how often a clock really shows it. |
Why a cardinal is the best-known sign
In the US the red cardinal is the sign most people mention, thanks to the saying “When cardinals appear, angels are near”. Cardinals do not migrate: they stay in the eastern and central states all year, and their red is easy to spot against winter snow. That is why so many people see them around the holidays and on anniversaries, the very days a loss is felt most. If a cardinal shows up when you are thinking of someone, you can simply take the moment as a reminder of them.
Signs from a pet that passed away
People who lose a dog, a cat or another companion animal describe very similar signs: hearing paws or a collar tag, feeling the weight of the animal on the bed, a familiar scent, or a dream in which the pet is healthy and playful. The grief is real and deserves the same care as any other loss. If you want to talk about your pet, you can tell Mystica in the free medium chat.
What to do when you notice a sign
- Pause and notice what you feel. The meaning usually lies in the moment, not in the object.
- Write it down. Date, what happened and what was on your mind. Over time the notes become a record of your bond. If you use My Mystica Today, the tool above can add the sign to your timeline.
- Say something back. A thank you, a memory, out loud or on paper. Many people find this the most comforting part.
- Talk about them. With family, with friends, or with Mystica in the free medium chat, an AI companion that can help you put your feelings into words. It cannot contact anyone who has died.
When grief feels too heavy. Grief can be overwhelming for a long time. If, a year or more after the loss, it still stops you from living your life, it may be prolonged grief, which doctors now recognise and can help with: talk to your doctor or a grief counsellor. If you are in crisis in the US, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), any time; elsewhere, find a free helpline at findahelpline.com.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common signs from a deceased loved one?
The most commonly reported signs are vivid visitation dreams, a sense of presence, feeling a touch, hearing their voice, noticing their scent, and symbolic signs such as cardinals, butterflies, white feathers, coins, flickering lights, their song or meaningful numbers.
How common is it to feel a sign after someone dies?
Very common. Studies of different groups have found that between 31% and 82% of bereaved people report some kind of contact or sign. In a survey of 1,004 people, touch (48%), seeing (46%) and hearing (44%) were the most often reported.
What does it mean when you see a cardinal after someone dies?
In American folk tradition a red cardinal is read as a visit from a loved one, summed up in the saying “When cardinals appear, angels are near.” Cardinals also stay in the eastern and central US all winter, which is one reason people see them around the holidays.
Can I ask for a sign from a loved one?
Many people do: they pick a specific sign, such as a song or a bird, and ask for it. If it comes, it can be a comfort; if it does not, it says nothing about their love for you or whether they are at peace.
Is it normal not to get any signs?
Yes. Many people who loved deeply never notice a sign. Grief and connection do not depend on signs; memories, rituals and talking about the person are ways of staying close too.
When should I get help with grief?
If grief stays intense and stops you from living your life for a long time (for adults, a year or more), talk to a doctor or a grief counsellor. If you are in crisis in the US, you can call or text 988, any time.
Keep exploring
Sources and further reading
- Woollacott, Roe, Cooper, Lorimer and Elsaesser: Perceptual phenomena associated with spontaneous experiences of after-death communication (University of Northampton)
- What we know about after-death communication experiences (Psychology Today, 2024)
- Prolonged grief disorder (American Psychiatric Association)
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- How our readings work: randomness, use of AI and limits · The Mystica
Written by The Mystica Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Last reviewed: November 2, 2026. Signs are a spiritual and personal experience; this page is for reflection and comfort, not medical or psychological advice.